Workshop on Better Health through Bio-medicine: Innovative Governance

Governments face increasing pressure to adapt current governance frameworks to the rapidly evolving biomedical research and development environment. The pace of scientific and technological advances in the life sciences, the complexity and heterogeneity of the knowledge relevant to health innovation- increasingly based on converging sciences and technological platforms- and the need to integrate the vast amounts of research and clinical data , bioethical issues and the public interest all combine to create challenges for governance of this sector.

For many of today’s new biomedical innovations, the distinctions between different forms of medical products such as drugs, diagnostics and devices no longer apply. Biomedicine also tends to realize its potential today through process innovation, even more than product innovation.

This workshop brought together policy makers, regulators, academic experts, private and public sector researcher and other interested parties, to discuss the latest biomedical developments such as stem cells and personalized medicine, and consider how to foster more effective health innovation.

The workshop aimed to:

Provide a forum to discuss how biomedicine can lead to better health outcomes

Discuss new governance models that are emerging across the OECD area in response to new biomedical developments

Consider how they can operate systemically to foster more effective innovation and promote multiple health system objectives within resource and fiscal constraints.

Consider the role of government in “shaping innovation in governance” to make the most of the benefits of these biomedical developments for both individuals and society.”

Gather input from the international community, including international policy-makers and industrial participants.

Determine areas in which the OECD can provide further policy insight and expertise.

Provide guidance for further work on biomedicine and health innovation at the OECD.

Participants concluded that there is a need to find new ways to pro-actively respond to biomedicine and health innovation. Regulatory science and governance frameworks must co-evolve creating conditions for early dialogue with main actors and new ways for sharing and managing knowledge on a global scale to achieve successful translation of biomedical research into clinical practice.